Always faithful to child's joy

By JEAN HAYES, Community News Coordinator
Published November 4, 2007

Bob Ross is the program coordinator for the Marine Corps League, Spring Hill Detachment 708 Toys for Tots campaign.
	[Stephen J. Coddington | Times]

How long have you lived in Hernando County, and where do you live? Where did you live previously?

We have been living in Hernando County for seven years now: two years full time in Springwood Acres, and five years as snowbirds in the High Point community. We are from Deerfield, N.H., a small, close-knit rural community.

Who are the members of your family?

Dottie is my wife, and this year we celebrated 40 years of marriage. We have two children, Robin and Vuth. Our daughter, Robin, has a daughter, Rachel, who is about 5 months old. Our son, Vuth, has a daughter, Jennie, who is 31/2 years old. Our son came to us from Cambodia via a refugee camp in Thailand. He was 12 years old when we picked him up at the airport and could only understand two words in English: "Pepsi" and "no." Today he has his master's degree in psychology from Boston University and works as a clinical counselor. Robin graduated from Notre Dame College and also works in the mental health field.

Tell us about your career.

After coming home from Vietnam and leaving the Marine Corps, I went to work for United Parcel Service as a driver and retired in January 2000 with almost 32 years of service.

What kinds of activities are you involved in now?

I am a member of the Marine Corps League Detachment 708 in Spring Hill, and I'm involved with the honor guard that provides military honors for deceased veterans at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. The detachment has two teams that go to the cemetery on a daily basis. I am also the program coordinator for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program in Hernando County.

Tell me more about that.

Toys for Tots is a program that began in 1947 by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Bill Hendricks and a team of his reservists in the greater Los Angeles area. This year we are celebrating our 60th anniversary. Since then, Toys for Tots has grown to encompass the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. We now have 558 sites around the country and distribute 19.2-million brand-new toys to 7.6-million needy children.

In Hernando County alone, we collect and purchase approximately 20,000 toys and distribute them to 4,000 children. We have a team of about 70 volunteers who process the toys we pick up from collection bins and many private and public events held throughout the county. We sort them according to age, gender, and then bag them up for the children. The parents or guardian must register in person at the Hernando County Fairgrounds with a picture ID and a current utility bill, plus a copy of a birth certificate for each child they wish to register.

Do you have any special hobbies?

Yes, I love to fish, especially bass fishing, and I love to ride my Harley around on the country roads of Hernando County. I enjoy reading when I have the time and walking when the weather permits.

What are your favorite things to do in Hernando County?

Fish, ride my bike and serve the citizens of the county in any way I can. We also enjoy being members of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church as it reminds us of our small country church up North.

What do you think would make Hernando County a better place to live?

I think that the tax structure should be changed. All property should be re-evaluated every three years, and all homeowners should be taxed according to the fair market value of their home at the time of re-evaluation. My neighbor shouldn't pay 50 percent fewer taxes than I do because they bought their home 15 years ago when they have the same market value as I do.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don't know.

There is very little about me that most people don't know. I come from a family of 10 children, and it's almost impossible to keep anything secret from that many siblings. However, some may not know that the level of my involvement in Toys for Tots is fueled by an experience as a child growing up in the early 1950s.

Coming from a large family, and our father being unemployed at Christmas one year, he explained to us that there wouldn't be any gifts under the tree that year. We tried to understand. The difficult part was knowing that when we returned to school after the holidays, our teacher was going to ask us all to stand up and tell the class what we received for Christmas. I knew I had to be sick that day. Apparently our church knew of our situation, and on Christmas Eve, just before bedtime, a large truck backed up to our house and unloaded what seemed to be a ton of gifts. I've never forgotten that Christmas, and I think of it every Christmas Eve.

It is my belief and commitment that no child should ever have to go without a brand-new, shiny toy on Christmas. Our motto and commitment is that "Every Child Deserves a Little Christmas."

Hernando Neighbors is an occasional feature of the Hernando Times. Do you know someone who would make a good profile? We'd like to hear from you. Contact Jean Hayes, community news coordinator, at jhayes@sptimes.com or 848-1438.

[Last modified November 3, 2007, 19:47:04]